State-of-the-Science Summit for Pediatric Oncology Nursing Research The recently initiated fusion of the pediatric oncology clinical trial groups in North America provides an opportunity for pediatric oncology nurses to examine their current research activities and to plan for their future research contributions to the evolving cooperative group. The intent of the Nursing discipline is to contribute energetically and in a scholarly fashion to the scientific agenda of the new cooperative group. Historically, the Nursing discipline has contributed significantly to the successful implementation of group clinical trials by educating patients, families, and nurses about treatment protocols and clinical trials. While continuing that essential function, the Nursing discipline is preparing to contribute more directly to the actual scientific agenda of the new cooperative group by articulating research questions of high priority to the nursing care of children and adolescents with cancer. The overall goal for this research summit, to be convened February 24-25, 2000 at the Natcher Conference Center at NIH, is to facilitate the articulation of the Nursing Scientific Agenda for the cooperative group. Four programs of nursing research in oncology (cognitive and academic consequences of treatment for childhood ALL, self-care practices of cancer patients, fatigue in children with cancer, and coping strategies in adolescents with cancer) will be presented by nurse researchers and then critiqued by nurse and non-nurse reviewers. Working groups comprised of the nurse researcher, the nurse and non-nurse reviewers and four advanced practice nurses for each of the featured research programs will then develop an aspect of the program for inclusion in a clinical trial framework. In addition, research with the potential for future contribution to the new cooperative group will be identified through a poster mechanism. The specific objectives of the summit are to 1) facilitate critique of four existing nursing research programs in oncology for their potential usefulness to the cooperative group, 2) develop scientific questions or hypotheses for incorporation into future clinical trials that represent scientific priorities of Nursing and the new cooperative group, 3) identify emerging nursing research ideas and researchers in pediatric oncology nursing, and to 4) strengthen the working relationship between nurse researchers and advanced practice nurses through shared responsibility for Nursing's contribution to the cooperative group's scientific agenda.